Tear
by Write-To-You
Summary: Brainy cries for the first time in 14 years. Nia is there when he needs her the most. (reposted because it glitched, just in case there's any confusing as to why this story notification is coming into your inbox twice :)


**Author's Note: aejf;aeh faoht I have like EIGHTEEN THINGS TO SAY SO BEAR WITH ME! **

**1: Nia and Brainy OMG OMG OMG :D :D I literally haven't shipped something so cute, AND CANNON, and amazing in SO LONG! I forgot how fun and rewarding it is :D **

**2: Honestly? I was suuuper against Supergirl by Season 3. But they've seriously been doing like a really good job with this season. I think it might be the characters? Like, y'all know I love the Flash but BOY am I sick of the characters they've been showcasing every. single. episode. Supergirl's characters are, overall, just a lot more likable IMO. **

**3: This title could be read as tear, as in crying, or tear, as in ripping. It's up to you to interpret :) **

**4: DID I MENTION HOW MUCH I LOVE NIA AND BRAINY?!**

Querl Dox, otherwise known as Brainiac 5, otherwise known a Brainy, hadn't cried in 14 years. It was a feat that he was somewhat proud of, when he thought about it (which he didn't very much). It was also, as others would undoubtedly point out if they knew, rather unhealthy. He had gotten good at bottling things up, with some help from Lena and her box method.

Which is why he was incredibly confused as he stood in front of Colonel Haley with his eyes beginning to burn and his throat tightening. He wasn't exactly sure what was happening; he just knew with some innate sense that he didn't want anyone to see it happen.

He turned, hands clasped tightly behind his back, and speed-walked away from his desk.

They had just lost an entire bus of school children. It had been a shocking blow- 13 kids on their way home, unexpectedly exploded by the Elite, just because a few of their parents were anti-alien. The DEO had buzzed into a livestream done by the Elite, one that they always did when broadcasting their crimes and their reasons to the world. Brainy would have had approximately three minutes to figure out where the bus was, where the bomb was, and how to stop it.

He had failed.

Colonel Haley, understandably, had been very upset. She turned her anger on Brainy. "I don't see why everyone raves about you so much. You're just as useless as any other tech support we've fired."

Brainy's feet carried him into the first empty hallway he could find. He ducked into a similarly empty room and shut the door tightly. Then, back against the wall, he slid down to the floor and began to sob.

At first, he wasn't even sure what his body was doing. There was water on his face, dripping down his nose and off his chin. His body was convulsing, and there were strange choking sounds coming from his throat.

The door creaked open. Brainy let out a strangled gasp, leaping to his feet and tripping, vision too blurry to see. He crashed ungracefully into one of the tables located in the dark room and banged his elbow.

"_Ow_!" Brainy yelled, followed by a very rude word.

"Brainy?" a quiet, familiar, female voice called. "Is that you in there?"

Brainy found himself stuttering unintelligibly for a moment before he recovered himself. "Ye- yes of _course _it's me in here and _me_\- or rather, _I_, would like to be left quite alone to deal with the complete and utter failure I am thank you very much-"

The light flickered on, and there stood Nia.

"Oh." Brainy stopped talking. "Nia Nal. I... did not know that it was you."

"It's okay," Nia shrugged, taking a small step further into the room. She took a look at his face. "Are you okay?"

Her voice was so gentle, so _caring_, that Brainy suddenly realized that he no longer wanted to be alone. But now that he had said he did, he wasn't quite sure how to get Nia to stay with him for awhile. Maybe even to... what was it that humans did when they were sad? Maybe she would even... _hug_ him.

A hug sounded so nice at that moment that Brainy's eyes welled up again. He turned his face away, sniffling noisily to keep his nose from dripping in a manner that would be most unattractive.

"What happened?" Nia asked, face darkening in concern. "I mean... I know about the school bus. I was- I was out there trying to figure out where they were." Her shoulders slumped. "My dreams didn't cooperate in time. Like usual."

"Well," Brainy said, his voice hoarse almost beyond recognition. "At least you are not 'as useless as any other tech support the DEO has fired'."

Nia looked shocked. "What?" she gaped. "Who said that? Who told you that?"

"Colonel... Haley," Brainy replied rigidly, lacing his fingers behind his back. "It seems that my... _performance_ this afternoon was not up to her standards."

"It was an impossible situation!" Nia cried. "You couldn't have possibly- she couldn't_ honestly _expect you to-"

"Well, it seems she did."

Brainy took seat on the floor again, cross legged. Nia knelt down beside him. "Do you... need a hug?" she offered, gazing at him cautiously.

"That would... that is to say, I would very much appreciate-" Brainy gulped. His voice had suddenly left him. His throat was so tight he couldn't get any more words through it. How did humans live like this every single day?

Nia dove forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. Brainy's arms travelled slowly around her back, unsure of exactly what to do. He realized he wasn't very good at this. But he also realized that Nia didn't care all that much.

"Those poor kids," Nia murmured, curling into a more comfortable position on the floor beside him. "They shouldn't have died. I just... how can the Elite _live_ with themselves after doing something like that? They say that they're protecting life but- but it's just like saying you're pro-life and then supporting the death penalty. Those people are only pro-fetus, just like the Elite are only pro-what-they-believe-in."

Brainy let out a soft sigh. "They are... not good people," he murmured, then paused. "I have... I have not cried in 14 years."

Nia looked up sharply. "14 _years_? Jeez, I cry like, once a month, if not more."

A smile tried to get on Brainy's face, but he wasn't quite ready for it yet. "I don't like the idea of you crying, Nia Nal," he told her. The thought was enough to get tears starting up in his eyes again. It seemed it didn't take much.

Brainy ducked his head into Nia's hair, hiding his face. She smelled nice, like flowers. Brainy liked flowers. He liked Nia, too. "Nia?" he mumbled, his voice soft.

"Yeah?"

He gulped. "What do you- what do you do when you... cry? To make yourself feel better?"

"Well..." Nia reached up and tentatively ran her fingers through Brainy's dark hair. He let out a murmur, relaxing into her. "I.. let myself cry, for starters. Sometimes all you need to do is turn on some sad music and just let it out, you know? If I can I- I find someone who I know loves me who will hold me."

"Like... like this?" Brainy asked carefully.

"Yes." Nia wound her arm a little tighter around his waist. "Just like this."

**Author's Note: MA HEARTTT THEY ARE MA HEARTTT OMG :') :') :') **

**Guyssss I NEED to write more of them! Give me an idea! Make it elaborate! Multi-chapter! I NEED TO WRITE MORE OF BRAINIA! (also um give me a ship name is Briania it idk okay thanks :) **


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